THE Mets passed on Alex Rodriguez once and it is possible to trace 1 ½ years of misery since to that decision. So it behooves this reeling organization to do everything it can to land the best player on the planet.

With one of the majors’ top-five payrolls and a last-place team for the second straight year, Rangers owner Tom Hicks has said he wants to downsize his payroll. However, when reached by phone yesterday, the man heavily criticized for signing A-Rod to a $252 million pact, said: “The reason we entered into a 10-year contract with Alex was we wanted him to be our leader for that period. We have no intention of moving him. We can keep him and have our finances work.”

When asked if A-Rod would be a Ranger in 2003 and beyond, Hicks responded “Absolutely.” But the signing of A-Rod, who really wanted to be a Met, was impetuous, and the Mets need to convince Hicks to act rashly again and trade them A-Rod, Hank Blalock and Gabe Kapler for Roberto Alomar, Jose Reyes, Aaron Heilman, Roger Cedeno, Jeromy Burnitz and Rey Ordonez. Here is how they do that.

WHY IT WORKS FOR THE RANGERS – A-Rod is due $125 million from 2003-2007, when he can opt out or $213 million through 2010. So there is no better way for Hicks to downsize then to move this pact.

Oakland and Seattle, and perhaps even Anaheim, will be better than Texas through the 2003 season, so the Rangers need to build toward 2004. Most of the Rangers’ odious contracts (think Carl Everett) expire either this year or next, giving them terrific payroll flexibility in 2004. Moving A-Rod gives them more in a dramatic way.

Alomar is a player Texas GM John Hart has already acquired once (for Cleveland) and whom he loves. Alomar, Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez would give the Rangers a strong offensive core for 2003 even without A-Rod, especially because Gonzalez is pals with Alomar, who has a way of motivating his chum to play well.

Texas gets Ordonez to hold shortstop for 2003 before Reyes takes over. Reyes and Brandon Phillips are considered the game’s best shortstop prospects. The Mets would prefer to move Pat Strange, but to do this deal they would have to give up Heilman, their top pitching prospect. The Rangers are loaded with hitting prospects, but need young pitchers. Blalock and Mark Teixeira are perhaps the minors’ best two hitting prospects, but they both play third base, so Blalock goes to convince the Mets to include Heilman.

Ordonez, Burnitz and Alomar make a combined $25.75 million or roughly A-Rod’s contract for next season, but all three have their contracts expire after 2003 while the Mets have A-Rod through at least 2007. Because of that they get a little more financial relief, so Texas takes Cedeno (three years at $14 million left) and the Mets get Kapler ($3.25 million for 2003).

WHY IT WORKS FOR THE METS – The Mets did not want to do A-Rod’s contract two offseasons ago, and with the possibility of greater revenue sharing and a luxury tax coming, they are leery of getting involved in what they consider a terrible contract. But since shunning A-Rod, the Mets have tumbled from NL champs to jokes. They are even more second-class citizens in New York to the Yankees and in the NL East to the Braves.

A-Rod turns just 27 this month. He currently leads the AL in homers, RBIs, runs and slugging percentage and might one day produce 800 homers and 4,000 hits. The Mets can get out of their TV contract after the 2005 season, and their financial attractiveness only heightens with a player who would rival Derek Jeter in New York popularity.

Blalock, who projects as a lefty-swinger with power and high on-base percentage, plays beside A-Rod and the Mets can think about re-signing Edgardo Alfonzo for second base, where his numbers fit better.

It is a financial risk for the Mets. But they can expect a lucrative TV deal, a new stadium and a better economy sometime in the near future. Most important, the Mets need to take a risk to get back into the game. And who better to take a risk on than the best player on the planet?

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MADE IN THE TRADE

With co-owner nelson Doubleday urging partner Fred Wilpon to trade for Alex Rodriguez, (July 14 New York Post, ‘Get A-Rod’) Joel Sherman has hammered out all the details for Mets to land A-Rod: